PIA Press Release2009/10/28

Davao City (28 October) -- The interagency National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee (ICC-CC) recently approved the following: Revised Panglao Island Airport Development Project, Panay River Flood Control Project and the Philippines' Response to Indigenous People and Muslim Education (PRIME) Facility.

In its fifth meeting for the year, the ICC-CC approved the proposed change in the cost of the Revised Panglao Island Airport Development Project by about 76 percent from PhP4.27 billion to PhP7.54 billion. The project cost rose due to the increase of item prices and quantity because of design modification and additional acquisition of 14.5 hectares of land, among others.

The Panglao airport project aims to develop a new airport facility in Panglao Island, Bohol to comply with domestic and international standards for operational safety and efficiency. It envisions to open up the entire region (Region VII) to more economic activities and to enhance the tourism potential of Bohol Province.

The ICC-CC approved this project on condition that the provincial government of Bohol is to conduct another multisectoral consultation to address ecological or environmental issues, that the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) will conduct value analysis/value engineering of the project, and that budget cover be issued to the Department of Transportation and Communications by the Department of Budget and Management. The project is seen to be implemented in the first semester of 2010 and completed in 2012.

The Committee likewise approved the Panay River Flood Control Project costing some PhP5 billion which is expected to address flooding problems along the sub-basins of Panay River. About PhP4.2 billion loan will be requested from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) while the local counterpart will be about PhP741 million. This flood control project will be implemented during a five-year period, from 2011 to 2015, with actual operations projected to start in early 2016.

Moreover, the ICC-CC approved the PRIME facility which aims to improve access to quality basic education particularly by indigenous peoples and students in Muslim communities. Regional and school grants will be provided and advocacy activities and supporting capacity building activities will also be supported.

The amount of the facility totals PhP840 million, where PhP700 million will be a grant from Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and PhP140 million to be shouldered by the Philippine government. (NEDA XI) [top]